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The Geometry of the Trochlear Groove

  • Clinical Research
  • Published:
Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research®

Abstract

Background

In the natural and prosthetic knees the position, shape, and orientation of the trochlea groove are three of the key determinants of function and dysfunction, yet the rules governing these three features remain elusive.

Questions/Purpose

The aim was to define the three-dimensional geometry of the femoral trochlea and its relation to the tibiofemoral joint in terms of angles and distances.

Methods

Forty CT scans of femurs of healthy patients were analyzed using custom-designed imaging software. After aligning the femur using various axes, the locations and orientations of the groove and the trochlear axis were examined in relation to the conventional axes of the femur.

Results

The trochlear groove was circular and positioned laterally in relation to the mechanical, anatomic, and transcondylar axes of the femur; it was not aligned with any of these axes. We have defined the trochlear axis as a line joining the centers of two spheres fitted to the trochlear surfaces lateral and medial to the trochlear groove. When viewed after aligning the femur to this new axis, the trochlear groove appeared more linear than when other methods of orientation were used.

Conclusions

Our study shows the importance of reliable femoral orientation when reporting the shape of the trochlear groove.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr Robin Richards for technical support and designing the 3-D image analysis software that was used in this study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Musculoskeletal Surgery, Imperial College London, Charing Cross Hospital, London, UK

    Farhad Iranpour MD, Azhar M. Merican BM, MS(Orth), Wael Dandachli MRCS, Andrew A. Amis DSc(Eng) & Justin P. Cobb FRCS

  2. University of Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Azhar M. Merican BM, MS(Orth)

  3. Mechanical Engineering Department, Imperial College London, London, UK

    Andrew A. Amis DSc(Eng)

  4. Division of Surgery, Oncology, Reproductive Biology and Anaesthetics, Imperial College London, 7th Floor, Charing Cross Hospital, Fulham Palace Road, London, W6 8RF, UK

    Farhad Iranpour MD

Authors
  1. Farhad Iranpour MD
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  2. Azhar M. Merican BM, MS(Orth)
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  3. Wael Dandachli MRCS
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  4. Andrew A. Amis DSc(Eng)
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  5. Justin P. Cobb FRCS
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Farhad Iranpour MD.

Additional information

One or more of the authors received funding from the Furlong Charitable Foundation for Research (FI) and the University of Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, and the Arthritis Research Campaign (AMM).

Each author certifies that his or her institution has approved the human protocol for this investigation, that all investigations were conducted in conformity with ethical principles of research, and that informed consent for participation in the study was obtained.

This work was performed at Imperial College London, London, UK.

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Iranpour, F., Merican, A.M., Dandachli, W. et al. The Geometry of the Trochlear Groove. Clin Orthop Relat Res 468, 782–788 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11999-009-1156-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11999-009-1156-4

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